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MP and her baby welcome back in Commons after ‘misunderstanding’

A New Democrat MP from Quebec is pleased to learn her baby is welcome back in the House of Commons after being asked earlier to remove the infant.

Sana Hassainia, NDP MP for Vercheres - Les Patriotes, with her infant son Skander-Jack. She claims she was asked to leave the House of Commons because she was carrying her infant son. (Family handout)

By Joanna SmithOttawa Bureau

Wed., Feb. 8, 2012

OTTAWA—A New Democrat MP from Quebec is pleased to learn her baby is welcome back in the House of Commons after being asked earlier to remove the infant.

Rookie MP Sana Hassainia (Verchères — La Patriote) gave birth last November to her first child, a son named Skander-Jack in memory of the late Jack Layton.

The 37-year-old — who, like her elected colleagues, is not entitled to go on maternity leave — returned recently to work, but because she is breastfeeding, her husband and baby join her on Parliament Hill.

Hassainia said she was just finishing breastfeeding her son when a vote related the bill to abolish the long-gun registry was called.

After searching in vain for her husband, she brought the three-month-old baby inside.

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That was when a page — one of the students who work in the Commons delivering messages to MPs — told her the baby had to go, Hassainia said Wednesday.

“He told me that certain MPs had noted the presence of my baby in the Commons and that it was forbidden and so I had to remove him,” Hassainia told reporters outside the Commons as she held her son at the microphone before passing him off to her husband, Amine Kochlef.

“I think it was a misunderstanding,” said Hassainia, adding that Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer has reassured her that she can bring Skander-Jack — whose name also includes the Arabic version of Alexander — back in whenever she needs to.

She noted other MPs will be able to do the same.

“It will certainly happen again with the MPs we have,” Hassainia said. “We have many women who are at the age of creating a family, so it will happen again for sure.”

A spokeswoman for Scheer said booting the baby out of the room was never his intention.

“Speaker Scheer had asked a page to go over and ask a group of MPs that were standing around and taking pictures of a member with her baby to please take their seat because the vote was about to start,” Heather Bradley told the Star on Wednesday.

“The vote clock was at zero. It was about to start. Pictures are not allowed to be taken in the chamber, so that was the problem he had. But he also wanted the vote to get started, so it had nothing to do with the baby.”

There is nothing in the rules addressing the presence of babies in the Commons and they have been there before. Former NDP MP Michelle Dockrill was photographed holding her newborn son, Kenzie James, in her arms as she stood to vote in 1998.

Still, some MPs called for clarification of the rules on Wednesday to prevent a similar misunderstanding from happening in the future.

“I think the House has got to be open, it has got to be a leader in that respect,” Public Safety Minister Vic Toews told reporters on his way in to Question Period on Wednesday. “I think the members needs to look at the rules to see if there can be a little flexibility.”

Scheer, the Conservative MP for Regina—Qu’Appelle, told the Commons on Wednesday that he would take a look at the rules.

“I can assure the House as a father of four, the youngest being 11 months, I have a great deal of sympathy for the challenges that parents face,” said Scheer, whose wife breastfed their children.

Hassainia had at first used the opportunity to take a shot at the Conservatives, accusing them in an interview with Montreal newspaper La Presse of sending the wrong message to working mothers, but after receiving the explanation from Scheer she softened her tone.

“We were elected and we need to be there for the citizens that elected us,” Hassainia said when asked if MPs should also have maternity leave.

“We do not want privileges. We just want to be able to work and also take care of our family.”

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